General liability insurance for consultants

If you or an employee at your consulting firm accidentally damages client property, your business could be held liable. General liability insurance helps cover costs related to third-party property damage. It also covers medical bills and legal expenses if a client or other non-employee is injured at your office. Many commercial landlords require businesses to secure this policy.

This policy provides liability coverage at your office related to:

• Customer injuries
• Customer property damage
• Copyright infringement and advertising injuries

Small consulting businesses can often find savings by bundling general liability insurance with commercial property insurance in a business owner’s policy. Businesses that are eligible for a BOP typically:

• Have fewer than 100 employees
• Have a small office or workplace
• Make less than $1 million in annual revenue
• Operate in a low-risk industry
• Need less than 12 months of business interruption insurance

Talk to a licensed Insureon agent to find out if a BOP fits your consulting company.

If clients visit your office, there’s a chance that someone could accidentally get hurt. If a client slips on a wet floor and breaks a wrist, your business might end up paying medical bills, plus legal expenses if the client sues. When there's an accident, general liability insurance covers:

• Medical bills
• Attorney’s fees
• Court-ordered judgments
• Settlements
• Funeral expenses in fatal incidents

Note that this policy does not cover employee injuries. For that, you’ll need workers’ compensation insurance.

General liability insurance covers accidental damage to third-party property, including the cost of repair or replacement. For example, a general liability policy could cover expenses if a consultant at your firm trips and knocks over a client's monitor. This coverage applies to incidents both at your office and off-site.

When promoting your consulting business, it's possible to accidentally copy another company’s intellectual property. Accidental advertising injuries are covered by general liability insurance. This includes:

• Defamation, both libel (written) and slander (spoken)
• Copyright infringement

If you create marketing materials or promote your business on social media, you'll want to include this protection.

While general liability insurance covers the most common risks of a consulting company, it does not provide absolute protection. Other policies to consider include:

Professional liability insurance: This policy covers legal costs related to business mistakes or decisions that resulted in revenue loss and legal action by a client. It's sometimes referred to as errors and omissions insurance (E&O).

Workers' compensation insurance: Workers' comp covers medical costs if a consultant suffers a work-related injury, such as tripping in the office and breaking a wrist. Most states require this coverage for businesses with employees.

Cyber liability insurance: This policy is important for businesses that handle personal information. It helps consulting firms recover from costly data breaches and cyberattacks.

Commercial auto insurance: This policy covers costs in the event of an accident involving your consulting business's vehicle. Most states require this coverage for vehicles owned by a business.

Fidelity bonds: Fidelity bonds provide reimbursement if one of your employees steals from a client. They are often required for client contracts.

Are you ready to safeguard your consulting firm with general liability insurance or another policy? Complete Insureon’s easy online application today. Once you find the right policy, you can begin coverage in less than 24 hours.